UARK (University of Arkansas )
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Latino Voter Turnout in the Nuevo South
Get PDFLatinos have had a growing presence in the South for years, leading it to be referred to as the “Nuevo South.” This thesis will examine Latino voter turnout in the South and the factors that influence them to show up at the polls. This study uses data from the Collaborative Multi-racial Post-Election Survey (CMPS) for 2016 and 2020. Through this data, I seek to understand why turnout is low and which factors impact turnout the most. I use rational choice theory to further understand how Latinos choose whether or not which considers the advantages and disadvantages of voting. Throughout this research, I found that factors such as electoral laws, voter education, and candidate representation all impact voter turnout among Latinos in the South. I also found that further research needs to be conducted to continue to understand the complexities of Latino voter behavior and how they can be addressed
Detection of Viral Particles in Contaminated Wastewater Using CRISPR-Cas13a-SHERLOCK
No full textPathogen contamination of irrigation systems and water sources threaten public health and agricultural infrastructure. Although PCR and other conventional nucleic acid detection methods are effective detection methods, their use of complex instrumentation and extensive sample processing limits field deployment in under-resourced and natural settings. This thesis evaluates Specific High-Sensitivity Enzymatic Reporter UnLOCKing (SHERLOCK), a CRISPR-Cas13a diagnostic tool, for ultrasensitive detection of viral genetic material in wastewater. SHERLOCK is able to maintain specificity via a custom CRISPR RNA (crRNA) and tolerance to common inhibitors. Plant and human viruses were simulated using a model system developed using a green fluorescent protein (GFP) gene target present in various forms. These targets were spiked into wastewater samples and then tested using SHERLOCK, which generates fluorescent signals by combining Cas13a collateral cleavage with isothermal pre-amplification. Viral nucleic acids were found even in complex wastewater matrices at low concentrations. Results showed clear fluorescent readout when comparing spiked lentiviral samples in wastewater to controls, consequently indicating SHERLOCK\u27s potential use as a tool for wastewater pathogen detection. Next steps are modifying the system for bacterial and fungal pathogens and aggregating the assay into a field-deployable format
End of Life Care in Pets and What It Tells Us About The Moral Permissibility of Physician-Assisted Suicide
Get PDFOur relationships define us. We have different relationships and obligations towards animals based on the societies we live in and the attitudes that individuals choose to have with these animals. People often see themselves as having more moral value than other animals based on the fact that they perceive themselves as having greater intelligence and conscious ability. I think this notion is misguided and the way that people actually perceive moral value is in terms of their relationships with the subject in question. If life was truly perceived in a “more intellect than more moral value” lens then the permissibility of eating a dog would be much more acceptable than eating a pig in Western countries. Pigs have demonstrated intelligence levels that are superior to dogs and on the level of a small child. Yet, they remain one of the most commonly eaten animals in the world. The same cannot be said about dogs. In many countries around the world, people view dogs as pets and animals that should be taken care of. But there are exceptions to this standard. In some countries, it is socially acceptable to eat animals that are considered pets in the United States because the people of those countries do not view them as pets. With this view in mind, I want to explore healthcare, particularly end of life care in pets. Pets in particular are treated almost like an extended member of the family. They are loved and taken care of and I think that by seeing how we approach care for them, we can potentially learn more about how we should approach care for humans. One of the main reasons someone puts their pet down is to alleviate it from pain and suffering. By learning more about end-of-life care in pets, I want to see if the situation can be analogous to people and if we are being logically inconsistent in how we approach end of life care in humans
Health Professional Perspectives on Sudden Unexpected Infant Death in Arkansas
Get PDFArkansas has one of the highest Sudden Unexpected Infant Death (SUID) rates in the nation, with 173.6 deaths for every 100,000 live births (CDC, 2024). This is much higher than the national rate, indicating a significant need for prevention education. Sudden Unexpected Infant Death is an umbrella term used to categorize Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS), unknown death causes, and accidental suffocation in bed. SUID rate reduction can be achieved by following infant-safe sleeping guidelines, which include crib use, flat and firm mattresses, no blankets, and putting babies on their backs. In this proposed study, health care professionals across Arkansas will be interviewed on their experience with SUID. The participants will exclusively be people working with expecting mothers and infants, and they will be questioned on how they discuss SUID, what the barriers to SUID education are, what their role is in preventing SUID, as well as what they think of current SUID prevention programs. Their insight will be analyzed for similarities and compiled into a report to aid in the development of infant safe sleep programs in Arkansas
The Effect of 1,25-dihydroxyvitamin D3 Supplementation on Humoral Immunity Against Bacterial Chondronecrosis with Osteomyelitis Lameness in Broiler Chickens
Get PDFBacterial chondronecrosis with osteomyelitis (BCO) lameness, the most predominant locomotive illness in fast-growing broilers, causes substantial animal well-being issues and affects broiler production, leading to huge financial losses. Several strategies, including feed supplementations using organic trace minerals, vitamin D, probiotics, and prebiotics, have been utilized to alleviate BCO lameness incidences in broiler chickens. Previous studies have indicated that feeding an additive of Panbonis®-G-1,25(OH)2D3 from Solanum glaucophyllum containing 1 µg/kg G-1,25(OH)2D3 to broilers for the first 28 days of their production cycle reduced BCO lameness by more than 50%. In this study, we investigated the impact of using the 1,25-dihydroxy vitamin D3 supplementation on the concentration of total antibodies to further understand the mode of action of the 1,25-dihydroxy vitamin D3 supplementation in safeguarding the birds from BCO disease. We measured IgA and IgM antibody concentration in the tracheal mucus and blood circulation, respectively.
A total of 800 birds were divided into four treatment groups with four replicate pens per treatment: T1 - a negative control diet, T2 - feeding 1 µg/kg of G-1,25(OH)2D3 for 14 days, T3 - feeding 1 µg/kg of G-1,25(OH)2D3 for 21 days, and T4 - feeding 1 µg/kg of G-1,25(OH)2D3 for 28 days. 100 birds were placed on two wire floor pens as BCO seeders to induce a BCO lameness outbreak in the research barn. Tracheal mucus and blood from 5 birds per treatment were collected on d12, d14, and d28 for further antibody measurement using an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay test (ELISA). P-value was determined by using One-Way Anova. ELISA tests demonstrated that IgA concentration from tracheal mucus and IgM concentration from blood circulation increased from d14 to d28, where T4 produced the highest IgA (2.41x103 ng/mL) and IgM (2.84 x105 ng/mL) concentration on d28 without significant statistical difference (P \u3e 0.05) from T1. Overall, 1,25-dihydroxyvitamin D3 supplementation confers a modest effect on IgA and IgM production. Further bone strength analysis is warranted to unravel the mechanism of action for 1,25-dihydroxyvitamin D3 supplementation in protecting broiler chickens from BCO lameness
The Influence of Political Uncertainty on Financial Markets During U.S. Elections: A Comprehensive Analysis
Get PDFThis thesis examines the impact of U.S. presidential elections on financial market performance, focusing on volatility, investor behavior, and market returns. Political uncertainty during election years often triggers market fluctuations, influencing investor confidence, policy expectations, and sector-specific reactions. By analyzing historical election-year data, this study identifies consistent patterns of increased volatility, shifts in investor sentiment, and post-election market stabilization. Findings suggest that while short-term uncertainty affects market behavior, long-term investment strategies should prioritize broader economic trends over election-driven fluctuations. These insights provide practical guidance for investors navigating politically uncertain environments
The Effects of Starting Hormonal Contraceptive Use on Rumination
Get PDFRumination, a cycle of repetitive dwelling on negative feelings and distress, is associated with mental health issues such as depression and anxiety. Although there is a substantial body of research on rumination and its association with depression and anxiety in women, there is a lack of studies specifically examining the role of hormonal fluctuation in this process. Changes in the menstrual cycle linked to estrogen and progesterone have been associated with mood regulation and susceptibility to depression, yet the impact of hormonal contraceptives (HCs) on rumination remains unexplored. The current study examined the role of HCs on rumination by comparing women starting the use of HCs with naturally cycling (NC) women in their follicular phase, both groups taking two online surveys spaced 2-3 months apart. I hypothesized that changes in rumination from Time 1 to Time 2 would differ between women starting hormonal contraceptives and naturally cycling women, due to the hormonal and emotional alterations associated with HC use. Additionally, I explored whether changes in rumination differed by type of HC used. Results showed that rumination changes differed by group, specifically between Nexplanon users and IUD users in the reflection subscale. Nexplanon users also showed consistently higher levels of brooding and depression-related rumination in comparison to other groups. Findings indicate that type of HC may affect levels of rumination
Effects of Thermal Interface Materials on Thermal Conductivity Measurement Using a Modified ASTM D5470 Thermal Resistance Tester
Get PDFIn this paper, we have investigated the effect of thermal interface materials (TIMs) on the accuracy and uncertainty of thermal conductivity measurements. A modified ASTM D5470 thermal resistance tester (TRT) is developed to measure the out-of-plane thermal conductivity of pyrolytic graphite (PG) and grade 2 titanium (TiG2) with and without TIMs. Compared to the ASTM D5470 standard, this modified design uses three thermocouples per side to support regressive analysis and explores the use of TIMs.s Nine PG samples and four TiG2 samples of varying thickness have been tested to obtain thermal resistance as a function of sample thickness. The steady-state temperature profiles were used for heat flux and thermal resistance calculation. The results reveal that TIMs significantly reduce measurement uncertainty for both samples, i.e., 42.85% for TiG2 and 48.81% for PG. The effect of TIMs on the measurement accuracy diverges, with a far more pronounced effect on TiG2 than PG. This is owing to the higher out-of-plane thermal conductivity of TiG2 (~ 17 W/mK) than PG (~ 2 W/mK). For materials with higher thermal conductivity, the percentage of the contact resistance between the sample and sample holder in the total resistance is very high. Thus, good control of the contact resistance by using TIMs is helpful in improving the measurement accuracy. For lower conductivity materials, the weight of contact resistance is lower and the effect of TIMs is thus less pronounced
Effects of sensor separation on flux calculations in the Eddy Covariance Method.
Get PDFRice production contributes approximately 8% of global anthropogenic methane emissions. Methane (CH4) is a powerful greenhouse gas with a global warming potential 28 times greater than carbon dioxide (CO2) which makes it important to monitor for understanding and mitigating its contribution to climate change. The Eddy Covariance (EC) method is used to monitor greenhouse gas emissions such as CO2, CH4, etc. As part of the EC method, the instruments on the EC towers are used to record the gas concentrations in the atmosphere; these concentrations are then run in the EddyPro software to be able to analyze the collected data. This study examines the methane emissions from a commercial rice field in Lonoke, Arkansas on July 06, 2022, and evaluates the effect of sensor separation values on corrected fluxes from EddyPro. A spectral analysis was done with the spectral correction factor in EddyPro using the method described by Moncrieff et al (1997) method. It was found that the methane fluxes were higher in the morning, dipped around 6:00 am, remained low during the day, and went up again later in the afternoon. The methane emission patterns were also influenced by atmospheric conditions. The sensor separation correction, applied during data processing, significantly affected CH₄ flux estimates, with greater horizontal separation leading to larger correction factors. In contrast, vertical sensor separation had minimal impact on final flux values compared to horizontal separation. Canopy height also had minimal impact on corrected methane fluxes. The findings emphasize the importance of careful sensor separation and tower setup measurements in EC studies. Small errors in measurement configuration can introduce notable biases, affecting data accuracy and interpretation
Exploration of Advanced Practice Registered Nurses’ Perception of Barriers to Promoting and Supporting Breastfeeding in Primary Care
Get PDFBackground: Breastfeeding is the biological way to provide active and passive immunity, as well as necessary nutrients, to infants while concurrently providing multiple health benefits for mothers. Even though evidence is readily available to support the argument to breastfeed, United States’ breastfeeding rates fall below Healthy People 2030 goals. Advanced practice registered nurses (APRNs) in primary care settings are in a prime position to give education and create care plans to support breastfeeding mothers to improve breastfeeding rates but literature supports APRNs lack confidence to do so. An APRN is likely to defer care to another provider to address any questions regarding breastfeeding care due to a sense of inadequacy, thus making mothers feel disappointed and unsupported by their provider, leading to a cessation of breastfeeding (Chesnel et al., 2022). There is minimal research available that address solutions in increasing confidence.
Methods: This project explored APRNs perception of barriers to promoting and supporting breastfeeding. The survey was a modified version of a previously used survey that assessed APRN attitudes, education, knowledge, and skills surrounding breastfeeding promotion and support.
Results: On overall education and knowledge, the average response of 3.08 based on a Likert scale measuring from not prepared (1) to extremely prepared (5). APRNs scored an average 2.81 when assessing breastfeeding assessment and management skills, 1 being no skill level and 5 being expert level. APRNs scored an average (4.85) when assessing their perceived importance of breastfeeding management in primary care, 1 being strongly disagree and 5 being strongly agree. The level of importance that practice setting barriers have on affectively promoting and supporting breastfeeding scored an average 3.91 amongst participating APRNs with 1 being not important at all and 5 being extremely important. In the open text suggestions, five APRNs suggested more education.
Conclusion: This study support previously conducted studies conclusions that more education and more access to resources, such as lactation consultants and midwives, are needed to aid APRNs. When these barriers are addressed, breastfeeding metrics can only improve.
Keywords: advanced practice registered nurses, breastfeeding, promotion, support, education, knowledge, attitude, skill